What's the ideal body? Well, it depends on what you want to do in life. If you want to be a swimmer then perhaps Missy Franklin's or Michael Phelps'? If you are an aspiring gymnast, maybe Simone Biles' or Kōhei Uchimura's? If you want to attract Donald Trump, well then maybe you need some silicone. Herein rests the problems with and the solution to the "what's the ideal body" question.

Chasing an ideal body image is sort of like sitting on the toilet when you don't really have to poop. You can strain all you want but you will never achieve what you want to achieve...because appearance-wise there is no such thing as an ideal body. Others---such as advertisements and movies---may tell you what the ideal body is, but that's just a few people deciding for you...and essentially making you stay on the toilet.

And staying on that toilet can be bad. Turns out that many, many people have very poopy images of their own bodies. Jeffrey Zaslow wrote in the Wall Street Journal about the revelation that in 1986, 60% of the fourth grade girls at Marie Murphy School in Wilmette, Illinois, were dieting. Fourth grade? Isn't that when boys are still trying to fart in public? Zaslow continued that many of those former fourth graders still have body image issues even after "growing up" and that things have gotten worse since 1986.

Think fourth-grade is too early to worry about your body? Look at the study published in the journal Body Image (which sounds like a logical place for such a study) that suggests that body image concerns begin as early as ages 2-5 years old. Janet Liechty and her team at the University of Illinois interviewed 30 parents of preschoolers and 43% of the parents relayed that their children had in some way exhibited "talking about weight, weight concerns, thinness preferences, and imitation of comments about size and weight". Yes, preschoolers, many of whom can't even bathe themselves regularly. Shouldn't they worry more about not getting food all over their faces while eating and not smelling like a toilet brush than their body shape...which will change?

Keep in mind that girls and women have not cornered the market in body insecurity issues. Boys and men can be just as insecure as girls and women, except they may cover it up more by activities such as acting macho, body shaming others, drinking, running for public office, or saying "dude" frequently. For example, a study led by Alison Field, ScD and published in JAMA Pediatrics revealed that many boys and young men were very concerned about thinness and muscularity.

Just like sitting on the toilet for month or years, continued negative body images can have serious long term health effects. Depression. Anxiety. Suicidal thoughts. Eating disorders. Unnecessary plastic surgeries. All of these can affect relationships and school and work performance. Many of these can lead to nutrition problems, obesity and chronic health conditions such as heart disease, bone problems, and cancer.

Want a possible solution? Look at Missy Franklin, five-time Olympic gold medalist, current world record holder in the 200-meter backstroke, six-time World Championship Gold medalist, and the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2011 and 2012. Today, Franklin is an attractive role model for many. But as she explains, things weren't always that way.